The Mama Coach - Jennifer Bonilla RN, Calgary, AB (2026)

Evidence-based, practical, and tailored to YOUR baby (not a one-size-fits-all plan). Virtual across Alberta, in-person Calgary & area.

12/30/2025

5 things I wish every new parent knew (NICU RN style)

1 - Baby p**p comes in many colours. Most are normal.
2 - Not all diaper creams work the same — ingredients matter. The higher the zinc the more protection it offers.
3 - Soother shape matters more than the label on the package. Most will do best with a long even shape.
4 - Soothers aren’t the enemy (sucking is soothing — it’s biology).
5 - Babies are very loud sleepers. Noise ≠ awake. Stop making things hard for yourself by picking them up or unbundling them as soon as they squeak!

None of this makes you “behind.”
It just means no one explained it yet.

Consider this your friendly RN download minus the panic spirals.

Save this. Share it with a new parent.
And if you’re thinking, wow, I could’ve used this sooner… you’re not alone.

08/26/2025

You did all the learning 📖and felt totally ready for breastfeeding. And then your baby threw a wrench in all your plans.

If I know babies (and after 17 years working NICU, I do , in fact, know babies🤓) they are super good at doing the opposite of whatever you think they’ll do.

So here’s the deal, if you find you don’t know what else to do to fix things, book a discovery call and let’s chat💬. We can work through your breastfeeding challenges together so you and your baby are on the same page.

08/25/2025

5 Mistakes I see parents make everyday in the NICU:

1️⃣ Bottle feeding baby in a cradled position
The typical positioning you always see in movies or tv is not great for baby. Side lying baby to feed allows you to have more control over the bottle flow and watch for baby’s cues.

2️⃣ Being over precise about diaper cream
Put it this way: if the skin is covered by cream, it’s not getting exposed to p**p that can cause diaper rash. Don’t be stingy!!

3️⃣ Changing diapers after a feed
Change the diaper BEFORE the feed so you don’t have to disturb your baby after the feed.

4️⃣ Mistaking active sleep for awakeness
Active sleep is 📣📢 loud!!! Like loud loud. Grunting, farting, burping, groaning, straining, etc. Make sure they’re awake before you disturb them.

5️⃣ Being over - gentle burping
I know your baby seems very fragile. And it’s true we need to support their head and neck to begin with BUT pat their back like you mean it when you’re trying to burp them.

Got more questions? Follow along for more tips and tricks!

08/19/2025

Negotiating a nightly anti-sleep protest? 😅
Before you blame “bad sleep” or think your baby needs a whole new routine, check their feeds.

Here are 3 feeding tweaks to try before pointing fingers at sleep:
1️⃣ Make sure feeds are effective (not just flutter sucking on breast or bottle).
2️⃣ Offer the same breast after a burp break so they get to the fatty hindmilk.
3️⃣ Before you jump out of bed, listen for a couple of minutes. Are they truly awake or are they just truly sleeping “like a baby”?

🌙 Sometimes better sleep isn’t about the crib or routine — it’s about filling the belly first.

💬 Parents, have you noticed your baby actually sleeps better when feeds are dialed in?

08/13/2025

Truth. In 2017, I bought air conditioning so my newborn would sleep. Shockingly, climate control doesn’t fix bad latch.

We were at the breaking point. We just needed an hour of consistent sleep, maybe two, and the world would be better. So we tried A/C.

I don’t regret our A/C, but it also didn’t fix my baby’s feeding problems. Looking back now, he had all the signs of his SLEEP issues being FEEDING issues.
Watch for these signs before opening your wallet (or both, because ❤️ A/C):

SLEEPING looks like:
-spitting up or throwing up as soon as you lay them down
-difficult to burp
-gassy all night
-waking frequently but not hungry
-waking aburptly with a pained cry
-coughing/gagging while asleep
-dry swallows

FEEDING changes to try:
-Football position
-Bum lower than head while feeding
-Evaluate babe’s latch (usually too shallow)
-Watch babe’s swallow pattern pattern at the beginning of feed. If they’re gulping, pop babe off for a swallow or two, then re-latch

Need support navigating sleep vs feeding issues?
📲Book a discovery call (link in bio) and let’s chat.

⏩Share with a friend who needs two solid hours of sleep to figure out what sock goes on what foot.

Address

Calgary, AB

Website

https://jennifer-bonilla.themamacoach.com/, http://jennifer-bonilla.themamacoach.com/classes/

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